Rescue Me by Rachel Gibson
Review by Cynthia F. (frazerc)
It’s a fun, fast read set in small-town Texas. Lovett is one of those towns full of ‘Thou Shalts’, ‘Thou Shall Nots’, and “Everybody Knows Thats’ and Sadie left it years ago in a cloud of dust, with a final wave and no regrets. Now she’s coming back, briefly, making a command appearance as a bridesmaid for a cousin she doesn’t even know. It’s just a temporary blip in her life, not like she was planning to stay. But still, being back in the town which expected a princess and got her instead, dressed in a bubble gum pink bridesmaid dress that might have appealed to a teenager, and trying to deal with a father who had always talked more to his horses than to her? Not so easy, especially since she was the ultimate failure in Lovett’s eyes; a thirty-three year old husbandless, childless woman with no date for the wedding. Is it any wonder she has issues?
Enter Vince, a retired Navy SEAL with his own set of issues. Like the resentment of having to retire due to hearing loss acquired during the engagement which killed his best friend. Like refusal to admit his PTSD issues. Like aimlessness about what to do now. Like refusal to commit to anyone and anything…
They meet over his dead truck on the highway as she’s heading into town. She gives him a ride, as he slides out he says ‘If there’s anything I can do for you…” She asks him to be her date, he turns her down and they go their separate ways. Yeah, like that’s going to happen. Seems he’s in town to visit his aunt who wants to sell him her business. And that ‘blip’ in Sadie’s life? Sidelined when her father gets smashed up by a horse and she puts her life on hold to oversee his care and be there if he needs her.
Over time Vince and Sadie develop from casual meetings to friendship and their chemistry was hot from the start. There are the usual romantic pitfalls, clever dialog and hurt feelings as they move from strangers, to uncommitted bed buddies, to a Relationship [yeah, that’s with a capital R] and finally the dreaded ‘C’ word, Commitment…
It’s a entertaining read. It does a good job of being a stand-alone read even though it is part of the Lovett series so order is not important. There are a couple of hanky moments but they don’t overshadow the happily-ever-after.
Lovett, Texas series
#2 Crazy On You (only released in ebook form)
#3 Rescue Me
